Clinton Campaign Reacts to Edwards Endorsement

By: Ryan Corsaro
Topics: Hillary Clinton

(CBS)

From CBS News' Ryan Corsaro:

WASHINGTON -- Less than an hour after news broke that John Edwards would endorse Barack Obama, Hillary Clinton's campaign chairman Terry McAuliffe walked out of Senator Clinton's Washington home and stood before the rash of press spread out on her cul de sac. Inside her house, Clinton was holding a fundraiser with supporters that caterers had been setting up all day.

Asked if she had reacted to the announcement Edwards was endorsing for Obama, McAuliffe replied, "nobody mentioned it."

He told reporters that Tuesday's win in West Virginia over Obama by nearly 40 points was proof that despite conjecture by many political pundits, the race was not over, and that his candidate still had a chance. "People see her as a fighter. She's not giving up. She is resilient. And when people say to her she ought to get out – you know, this race, we are ahead in the popular vote – I cannot stress this enough," McAuliffe said. "She is ahead in the popular vote. We are close in the delegates. This is up to the voters."

Clinton only leads in the popular vote if Michigan and Florida's primary votes count, which they currently do not, because of Democratic Party rules.

Asked what he thought about the timing of Edwards' endorsement, McAuliffe said it was not an endorsement or a media figure that could tell Americans who should be their next commander-in-chief. "We have six million eligible Democrats left to vote," McAuliffe said. "They're going to determine who the nominee of the Democratic Party is. And it's not someone on television telling them what to do. People like it that Hillary Clinton is fighting for them."

"These folks are not quitting on Hillary Clinton, and she is not quitting on them. We are in this thing 'til the end. We are in it. We are taking it to Denver, and we're taking it to the White House. Hillary Clinton will be the next President of the United States of America."

Clinton meets with members of her National Finance Board this evening and uncommitted superdelegates at a closed event here. Tomorrow she flies to South Dakota to continue her campaign.

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by spclifford2 May 16, 2008 3:43 PM EDT: From what I have seen in the past few days, the Obama campaign this is not a new kind of politics. This is the same old politics. The Obama campaign knew exactly what they were going to do to cut Hillary off at the knees and diminish Obama''s huge loss by having Edwards come in right when Hillary should be celebrating her victory. And who is giving him all the advice, the politicians of the past, Ted Kennedy, John Kerry and the rest who could not win their own elections. There is nothing new about Obama''s campaign. It''s dirty and it''s old. Obama can''t possibly bring this party together using these tactics. His words of hope do not match his actions. Hillary Clinton speaks for the backbone of America, afterall, she has recieved more of the popular vote than Barack Obama when you include Michigan and Florida. And why shouldn''t they be counted? It was the DNC and party chairs that made the rules, not the voters. I''m afraid at the end of the day, this will be another Florida situation, but this time it''s not the republicans that have chosen the president it is the DNC and the Super Delegates who have made the choice. This election has been such a disappoint for loyal democrats, between the media bias, the obvious choice of Barack Obama by Nancy Pelosi, Howard Dean and the super delegates. (who have not represented their constituents) The voters have been fooled once again. Shame on all of us.; Reply to this comment


by truthyness May 16, 2008 9:57 AM EDT: Howard Dean is doing everything he can to get Obama in the White House. One would think his
job depended on it. (snicker); Reply to this comment


by mattcat25 May 15, 2008 3:20 PM EDT: %u201CThe boys are picking on meeeee! Wahhhhh!
But, it%u2019s not all about me, it%u2019s about all men against all woman, and all of them are the same, and all woman need to send my campaign a donation at hilly.com%u201D; Reply to this comment


by hhkeller May 15, 2008 1:10 PM EDT: Can you post the name of his barber so I can run for President too. Two one term Senators running on ego and not much else. Go figure.; Reply to this comment


by gaypastor May 15, 2008 1:05 PM EDT: Big shock! The one young, handsome man endorses the other younger, handsome man to beat the older, more experienced woman symbolizing our first real chance for a woman president. Welcome to "Sexism 101" everyone!!! Perhaps they''d rather have Hillary be the White House chef "baking their cookies" than serve our country as president. But oh wait...the press doesn''t care that she won WV....they''re too busy reporting on the endorsement of the guy who lost twice now. Great precendent with our press, huh? Let''s let our American press decide who your nominee is by highlighting this story and burying the other? Like giving them this kind of unchecked power won''t come back to haunt all of us someday...at some point....when we don''t like their NEXT choice FOR us!; Reply to this comment


by dbmixer May 15, 2008 12:06 PM EDT: Any solution to FL & MI that reflects in anyway on the illegitimate vote would tell every other state in the future that it is o.k. to break the rules. I say NO, it is time to stop this nonsense. 48 states followed the rules. Sorry FL & MI but you need to take this up with your elected officials. This is not the fault of the DNC. The HRC campaign should honor their agreement that they signed up to and finish the election process accordingly; otherwise this will look like a backdoor maneuver. Obama has won this fair and square, by the rules everyone agreed on and not by the daily changing metrics. Terry it is not about the popular vote which your fuzzy math gives you the lead, it''s about the delegates stupid!!!; Reply to this comment


by craigh9 May 15, 2008 11:35 AM EDT: Here is the solution to the Michigan/Florida primary issue that the DNC should consider on 5/31/08.

1 - The DNC should mandate that the appropriate state party bosses, those intimately involved in creating this mess, lose their superdelegate status, resign from their state party leadership positions and be ineligible for state leadership positions until after the 2012 elections. This will result in a reasonable deterrent to having people in those positions do something like this in the future.
2 - Count Florida as voted, count Michigan as voted giving credit to Obama for uncommitted votes and seat delegates accordingly.
3 - Instruct uncommitted superdelegates to lend no weight to the popular vote of these 2 states as it is %u201Ctainted%u201D due to the lack of campaigning in those states. This offsets the high likelihood that the %u201Cunknown Obama%u201D would have closed the gap on the %u201Crecognizable name%u201D candidate had campaigning occurred back in January.
This seats the delegates appropriately, recognizes the efforts of the voters, and yet maintains the integrity of the primary process by penalizing the people responsible for violating DNC rules; Reply to this comment


by jack3213 May 15, 2008 10:38 AM EDT: MCCAIN 2008. Simple, solid, secure.; Reply to this comment


by jack3213 May 15, 2008 10:37 AM EDT: I have never heard more delusional people in all my life- it is very sad really- to hear supporters and campaign people fighting a lost cause- Clinton isa BIG FAT LIAR- Obama is an-adult wanna be--Makes one want to move to another country; Reply to this comment


by Lai K W May 15, 2008 6:30 AM EDT: The OBAMA fanatics, the media pundit and party leaders fudge with the map.

The people is on the map and show their disapproval:

Another landslide loss for BO to celebrate his endorsement.; Reply to this comment